Cape Cod/Falmouth Area Trip?

[la79al]

One of our vacations this summer is to the Cape Cod area. We are staying in a condo in Falmouth. My kids are 9, 6 and a really crazy, hyper 2 and are not into the art gallery/botanical garden scene. We are spending a week at a beach later in the month so don't really want to do a full week of beach. Anyone have some other tried and true suggestions?

 

[PollyannaMom]

I know you can rent bikes there and they have trails. Would one of you feel comfortable with the 2-year-old in a baby seat or pull-behind?

There is a small water park in Wareham - not too far as long as you're not fighting the local traffic (onto the Cape Friday nights, off Sunday afternoons). It's called Water Wizz.

Tons of mini-golf, ice cream places, etc.

There used to be a children's museum, but DS is older now, so I'm not sure anymore.

 

[Poohforyou]

There's the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, the Nobska and Nauset lighthouses, the Children's museum in Mashpee and you can take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.

 

[Shellsbutt]

My husband and I leave for Cape Cod next week! No kids though, they are grown ups now, lol. In my research, I came across the Wellfleet Drive-In. Apparently it is the only one on the cape. Also, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. Have fun!

 

[HeatherC]

There is the Cape Cod Inflatable Park, Go Carts, Mini Golf

If you want a fun day at the beach try Town Neck Beach in Sandwich. The beach itself is rocky, but the back side of the beach is the salt marsh and Sandwich Boardwalk. It is Natures Lazy River. When the tide is in, you can jump from the bridge..not very high and kids LOVE it. When the tide goes out you can float downstream on a tube.

Sandwich also has the Adventure Zip Line Park, but may be too old for your kiddos.

Have a blast!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich is fun and unique. Lots of safe space for the kids to run.

The websites don't really do it justice.

https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract..._Gardens-Sandwich_Cape_Cod_Massachusetts.html

A nice little place to eat nearby in Sandwich is the Marshland Restaurant.

 

[monorailsilver]

What about the Cape Cod chips factory? Always wanted to go but DH said it's too far for a day trip...sigh...

 

[Tattylou]

These are all good suggestions, but I feel like a lot of things on the Cape are add-on type activities for someone's non-beach day and not necessarily worth taking a vacation to see in their own right. I live about 50 min from the bridge and worked down the Cape for a couple years. The reality is the Cape is typically a beach vacation destination so you can find other stuff to do, but most ppl go for the beaches and the other stuff is just extras. If you don't want the beach then you may want to consider some other New England destinations where there's more to see and do....like the White Mountains in NH.

 

[Hikergirl]

My husband and I leave for Cape Cod next week! No kids though, they are grown ups now, lol. In my research, I came across the Wellfleet Drive-In. Apparently it is the only one on the cape. Also, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. Have fun!

The drive-in is over an hour away without traffic so it will be about 4 hours with LOL.

OP, you can visit the Nobska Lighthouse, The Knob, there is a bird estuary and wildlife sanctuary in the area, whale watch (not sure if they run out of the Falmouth area, we always went to P-town, or Hyannis).

Traffic is brutal in the summer, just keep that in mind and add plenty of time to get where you are going. There is plenty to see and do all over the Cape, but since its really a beach vacation spot its alot of the same stuff.

 

[weeniecat2442]

I second the Heritage Museum. It is a lot of fun. We celebrated my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary there and spent the day just walking through and checking out all the pretty sites and theres a lot of fun stuff for kids to do. There is a carousel, a fun tree house/fort with a big play area for kids.
If you're up for a drive check out PTown. That part of the Cape is my favorite. Wellfleet is on the way and theres an awesome estuary with Uncle Tom's Bridge. You can walk around the estuary and explore around the waters edge or walk through the woods. Some fun trees to climb and play around.
Have a blast! And be ready for crazy traffic!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

What about the Cape Cod chips factory? Always wanted to go but DH said it's too far for a day trip...sigh...

There's plenty to do in Hyannis if you go. The tour is pretty quick. And be mindful of traffic in the summer. If you go, go early. I used to live there, and I was just down there for several days in May, and traffic was beautiful. But now, things are getting busier. Rt 28 can be brutal.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

For baseball fans, be sure to catch some of the Cape League games. It's the top collegiate league in the country, and many of the players go on to the MLB. Roger Clemens's son just got drafted, he's played there in previous years.

http://www.capecodbaseball.org/

 

[monorailsilver]

There's plenty to do in Hyannis if you go. The tour is pretty quick. And be mindful of traffic in the summer. If you go, go early. I used to live there, and I was just down there for several days in May, and traffic was beautiful. But now, things are getting busier. Rt 28 can be brutal.

Trust me I know! I live next to the CT River Very close to 95...avoid it if I can on Friday night and Sunday afternoon...as well as the shoreline towns grocery stores!

Some day we will get to the cape cod chip factory...some day!

 

[PollyannaMom]

whale watch

Oh, how could I forget that? - definitely a good idea!

 

[Amii]

The Sandwich Boardwalk is really nice. There is a boardwalk that leads from the parking lot to the beach. (rocky beach) There is a small inlet that is really shallow that lots of smaller kids play at and at low tide there are tidal pools with all kinds of sea life to look at. You can bring some string and raw chicken or hot dogs and throw them off the side of the boardwalk and catch small crabs. Can't eat them but kids love to catch them. Lots of kids and teens jump off the boardwalk but there is a bad rip tide sometimes and I would not let kids jump in.

Heritage Gardens and Museums has a carousel that is free to ride as many times as you want, lots of area to run and play, and a kids area that kids your age would like. There is also a building with a lot of really cool old cars.

Cape Cod Potato chips has a free tour of their factory. It is really a short hallway that you walk down and look through windows to see them making the chips. Each person does get to take a few small bags of chips on the way out and it's free.

The Woods Hole Science Aquarium has a seal pool outside. The aquarium is small but it's nice and free. There is limited parking and you might need quarters for the meters.

The Cape Cod Children's Museum in Mashpee is a great place to let kids play on a rainy day.

Look online at Cape Cod Online and see what is going on while you are here. There are lots of things going on in the summer usually.

The Whyduh Pirate Museum in Yarmouth is pretty cool if you have pirate lovers. They even have gold doubloons recovered from the shipwreck that you can hold.

Be really careful to check everyone for ticks if you are outside. The Cape is loaded with ticks and and the cases of Lyme are ridiculous.

Have fun!

 

[capegirl]

The Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis has a nice indoor water park, good for a rainy day.
The Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth is great fun.
The Brewster General Store on 6a has 2 floors to explore, and penny candy too.
The Lanes Bowl and Bistro Mashpee Commons has family friendly events. The Commons has some nice shops too.
In Harwichport, there's an original 'retro' A&W root beer. They still serve root beer in frosted mugs. Kids love this place. There are also go carts, trampolines, and bumper boats very close by.

 

[la79al]

You all have been very helpful, thank you! Can someone clarify Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket? My mom has a day planned for each of them and I'm just not sure that we need to do both (or even one).

 

[Paddy Pat]

You all have been very helpful, thank you! Can someone clarify Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket? My mom has a day planned for each of them and I'm just not sure that we need to do both (or even one).

Since you are staying in Falmouth, there are buses that you can catch to Woods Hole, where the closes ferry is to Martha's Vineyard. It's a relatively short ferry ride which the kids will enjoy. You can bring your car (need to make reservations) if you would like to drive around the island. Otherwise, plan on walking. The most popular town is on the other side of the island because its the only one that serves alcohol. The island in nice and you can easily spend the day there.
Nantucket, which is the furthest island off of the Cape is also very nice. I perfer it over the vineyard. Not for any particular reason really. But the travel to the Hyannis dock, the ferry ride to/from will be time consuming for just one day.
Go to the Vineyard. You will be glad you did.

 

[capegirl]

You all have been very helpful, thank you! Can someone clarify Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket? My mom has a day planned for each of them and I'm just not sure that we need to do both (or even one).

Both islands are worthy of a visit. Martha's Vineyard has more of a laid back vibe, and the most kid friendly of the two. Stop by Nancy's on the dock for some seafood with a view, and stop by Mad Martha's for delicious ice cream. There's also an antique carousel the kids would enjoy. Nantucket, on the other hand has an upscale vibe. It is beautifully quaint,and charming, with cobble stone streets, but as the pp mentioned, a longer trip.

 

[debster812]

Both islands are worthy of a visit. Martha's Vineyard has more of a laid back vibe, and the most kid friendly of the two. Stop by Nancy's on the dock for some seafood with a view, and stop by Mad Martha's for delicious ice cream. There's also an antique carousel the kids would enjoy. Nantucket, on the other hand has an upscale vibe. It is beautifully quaint,and charming, with cobble stone streets, but as the pp mentioned, a longer trip.

I handle logistics at my job, and part of what I do is get our equipment and workers to and from Martha's Vineyard, so I am constantly on the Steamship Authority's website. Something has happened to the SSA's "Fast Ferry" to Nantucket. They are on a highly abbreviated schedule, and are chartering a vessel to run some of the trips. That is a passenger only vessel, and takes about an hour. The traditional, car and passenger ferries are 2.5-3 hours depending on conditions, so it's a LONG day trip to Nantucket.